Tractor attachment for automobiles



' W. C. .PHILLIPS.

TRACT OR ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.5.1919.

- 4 1 ,3275773 Patented Jan; 13, 1920. v

in sra rns r a rnn'r ornicn.

WALTER C. PHILLIPS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINGIS, ASSIGNOE T9 GUARANTEED TRACTORS, INC., 0 CHICiaGO, ILLINGIS, A CQBPGRATIGN OF ILLINOIS.

TRACTOR ATTACHMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES.

LEZRWS.

Substitute for application Serial No. 197,322, filed. Gctober 22, 1917.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 287,738.

To all 10 [tom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVAmnn C. PniLmrs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tractor Attachments forAutomobiles, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specificathe pinion gear 7 may be set properly in tion.

' My invention relates to an adjustable standard for use in convertingautomobiles into tractors. In order to convert an automobile into atractor by the apparatus of bile rear axle and a bracket attached to theautomobile frame. In order that the device may be marketed in shape tobe attached to various makes of automobiles without the necessity offurnishing different supports of the type illustrated herein with eachdiffer out make of automobile, it is necessary that the support ben'iade adjustable so that the relation of the tractor axle may beadjustedwith respect to the rear axle of the automobile.

My invention relates to the details by means of which the properadjustment of the tractor axle may be had.

My invention is illustrated in the accon'ipanying drawing, whereinFigure 1 is a side elevational view of the support of my invention inassociation with an automobile frame, rear axle, and tractor wheels;Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the means which I employ to adjustablysecure my support to a tractor axle; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig.2.

The automobiles to which my invention is to be applied are provided withvarious height wheels and it is desirable to maintain the height of therear automobile axle substantially the same after the automobile hasbeen converted into a tractor as it was when driven as an automobile.This requires that the channel members 2 of the automobile sub-frame bemade vertically adjustable with respect to the rear axle 3 of thetractor. It is likewise necessary, in order that certain brace rods,brake operating rods and the like may be avoided on certain makes ofautomobiles, that blocks 4t, by means of which the channels 2 areattached to the rear axle housin g of the automobile, be made Verticallyadjustable with respect to the channel 2. These blocks are preferablyadjustable by the setting of the nuts 5 on the bolts 6, by means ofwhich the clamping blocks e are attached to the channel 2, washers orother suitable fillers 6 being provided where it is desired to lower thechannel 2 with respect to the rear axle of the automobile. In order thatmesh with the drive gear 8 for different vertical adjustments of thetractor axle 3 with respect to the channel 2, the upright by means ofwhich the driving axle and the channel 2 are united must permit of acompound adjustment of the driving axle with respect to the channel 2and with respect to the automobile rear axle and the pinion 7.

In accordance with my invention this com-v pound adjustment isaccomplished by means of the lead screw 10 which passes through thelower and upper horizontal members of the channel 2 through the basemember 11 of the standard. and through the upper and lower tractor axleclamping members 12 and 13. This lead screw is provided With a nut 14immediately above the base member 11, and with nuts 15 and 16 below andabove the tractor axle clamping members 12 and 13. The rear axleclamping member12 is provided with a threaded hole in the face whichregisters with the face 18 of the standard, the standard being providedwith a slot 19 and a stud bolt 20 being passed through the slot andthreaded into the opening in the block 12 by means of which the block 12may be securely clamped to the standard when the position of the rearaxle is properly determined. The forward lug 22 of the standard base isprovided with a bolt 23 which extends through openings in the upper andlower'flanges of the channel 2. The base of the standard is slightlyrounded to' form a rocker upon which the standard may bev tilted eitherto the front or to the'rear by' the relative adjustments of the nuts onthe bolts 10 and 23. By means of this adjustment, after the properheight has been determined for the tractor axle with respect tothe'channel 2, and consequently with respect to the rear axle of theautomobile, the

nuts on bolts 10 and 23 are adjusted so that the pinion 7 is caused tomesh properly with the teeth of the drive wheel 8. In order to assist inthe proper positioning of the standard with respect to the channel 2,the standard is preferably provided with one or more depending limbs 25,which bear against either one or both sides of the channel memher. 7

This application is a substitute for my application Serial N o. 197,822, filed October 22, 1917.

While I have shown and described my invention with respect to thedetails illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understoodthat certain modifications thereof may be made without departing fromthe spirit or scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a device for transforn'iing an automobile into a tractor, thecombination with a sub-frame, of means for attaching the subframe to therear axle housing of the automobile, a standard at the rear of saidsubframe, a tractor axle clamp carried on said standard, and means theactuation of which positively moves said clamp vertically properly toadjust the tractor axle with respect to said subframe.

2. In a device for converting an automobile into a tractor, thecombination with a sub-frame, of means for attaching the subframe to thenether side of the rear axle housing of the automobile, a standard atthe rear of the sub-frame, and a lead screw extending vertically at oneside of said standard, a tractor axle clamp carried by the standard, andmeans engaging said lead screw and adapted to be operated to adjust saidtractor axle clamp vertically with respect to said sub-frame.

3, in a device for converting an auto mobile into a tractor, thecombination with a sub-frame, of means for uniting said subframe to therear axle housing of the auto mobile, a standard on said sub-frame,means for securing the upper part of said standard to the tractor axle,and means for tilting said standard either forward or back for adjustingthe distance between the tractor axle and the axle of the automobile.

4. In a device for converting an automobile into a tractor, thecombination with a sub-frame, of a device for attaching the rear axlehousing of the automobile to said sub-frame, means carried by thesub-frame for attachment to the tractor axle, and means the actuation ofwhich positively moves the point of attachment with the tractor axleboth vertically and horizontally.

5. In a device for converting an automobile into a tractor, thecombination with sub-frame of means for attaching said subframe to therear axle housing of the automobile, a standard on the sub-frame,devices for securing the standard to the tractor axle, and means fortilting said standard either forward or back for adjusting the distancebetween the tractor axle and the axle of the automobile, said meanscomprising a fulcrum interposed between said standard and saidsub-frame.

6. In a device for converting an automobile into a tractor, thecombination with a sub-frame of means for securing said subframe to therear axle housing of the automobile, a standard mounted on said subframeand devices for securing said standard to the tractor axle, means fortilting said standard forward or back, and positive locking means forsecuring said standard in its adjusted position.

7. In a device for converting an automobile into a tractor, thecombination with a sub-frame of means for securing said subframe to therear axle housing of the automobile, a standard mounted on said subframeand devices for securing said standard to the tractor axle, means fortilting said standard forward and back, and positive locking means oneither side of said fulcrum for securing said standard in its adjustedposition.

8. In a device for converting an automobile into a tractor, thecombination with a sub-frame of means for securing said subframe to therear axle housing of the automobile, a standard mounted on said subframeand devices for securing said standard to the tractor axle, means fortilting said standard forward or back, and positive locking means forsecuring said standard in its adjusted. position, said means comprisinga lead screw extending vertically on one side of said standard, and abolt extending verti' why on the other side thereof.

9. In a device for converting an automobile into a tractor, thecombination with sub-frame, of means for uniting said subfran'ie to therear axle housing of the automobile, a standard on the sub-frame, meansfor securlng the upper part of said standard Y tothe tractor axle, meansfor tilting said standard either forward or back for adjusting thedistance between the tractor axle and the axle of the automobile, saidmeans comprising a convex lower surface on said standard adapted toengage said. sub-frame, and locking means provided on either side ofsaid standard.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this'2nd day of April,1919.

WALTER o. PrnLLiPs.

Witnesses ANDREW Wrurrnnconx, MARY A. Coon.

